If you’re a child of the 1960s or '70s, political assassinations were probably a key element of your early political consciousness. My family’s cedar chest was stuffed with newspapers and Life magazines about the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy. These terrible events have loomed large over American politics and made the risk of political assassinations feel disturbingly present— particularly in the last decade as the United States has become more bitterly divided and polarized. Years after rummaging through the cedar chest, I was a White House correspondent covering the presidency of Barack Obama, who dealt with a record number of death threats.

For these reasons, this weekend’s attempt on Donald Trump’s life at a political rally in Pennsylvania felt sadly unsurprising. And even as details are still emerging about what happened and why, our amazing contributors have provided readers of The Conversation Canada with some important context and insights, filing stories within hours of the assassination attempt.

Thomas Klassen of York University looked back at the country’s history of political assassinations, while Jack L. Rozdilsky, also of York University, explained the security implications of the attack.

Both experts warned that we are likely entering a new and dangerous era in American politics, with Klassen adding: “In a country with more guns than people, and with firearms easily available, it is not surprising that invariably shootings are the preferred means of killing or attempting to kill political office holders.”

I’ve included some stories on the assassination attempt from our global network, and you should also check out these important stories today:

Early or not? Trudeau and Ford eye one another over when to call elections

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Training AI requires more data than we have — generating synthetic data could help solve this challenge

Canada’s alcohol deficit: The public cost of alcohol outweighs government revenue

All the best,